The end of an Error

I had a little extra bounce in my step last week. I finished my first rotation (or error for a crappy preceptor). This would have been enough for me to be excited, but even more so, the end of my ortho surgery rotation means time to move on to a preceptor who actually cares about students and doesn't find women inferior (I hope). I have to admit, this rotation wasn't all bad, like the whole 5th week when my doc was out of town, I spent 3 days in OB and got to assist with a couple C-sections (pretty darn sweet!) and do lots of measuring of pregnant bellies and listening to little heart beats, I also got to go with two other ortho's saw some Hip replacements (6 in one day to be exact), a knee replacement, lots of knee scopes and a ORIF of a distal radius fracture (open the wrist to put in a plate to hold the end of one of the forearm bones together with plate and screws). I even got to see a PA actually do something in the OR - like suture and be an integral part of the team, not just another person in the OR. And another great thing about my ortho rotation, there was a pizza party in my honor the last day, not to mention many business lunches at nice restaurants. So see there were some positives that came from this rotation - even if the doc made me visibly cry during one of the last surgeries I assisted with (so much in fact my face shield fogged over and was collecting tears like a reservoir), I think he even mentioned something about me "not cutting it" and how "ortho may not be for you because you have to have physical strength and know how to do what I tell you to." So after writing a candid email to the clinical team, I moved on to Internal Medicine.

I had thought internal medicine would be my arch nemesis, and it may turn out to be just that - but I'm not stuck in a hospital but in a very low key, slow paced clinic with a first time precepting doc. Yesterday was my first day, kind of a short day with only 4 patients since i had to go to a mandatory computer training for software that won't be up and running until my last week in the clinic. Hmmm... But anyway, even though there were only 4, they were a great 4 - including an exam entirely in Spanish and a well baby visit. Today I got to see a pt in the hospital post liver and kidney transplant, AND... a couple patients by MYSELF; a pt with dizziness and a new pt establishing with a new PCP. I may have been long in my exams, and I may have missed a few questions, but I went in all by myself! yay! I also got to do the exams of more complex patients. It was a great start and a much better rotation so far!